AMI-RDC 2026: making mining agreements a lever for local processing
From October 28 to 30, 2026, we are taking part in the 10th DRC Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI-RDC) in Lubumbashi, organized by Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) and its partners. This year’s theme, “International agreements on the DRC’s strategic minerals: opportunity, challenges, and prospects,” examines whether these agreements are consistent with the revised 2018 Mining Code and what they actually deliver for local communities.
On October 29, we are hosting a parallel session on the impact of these agreements on local processing and the country’s industrialization. The government has stated its ambition to process minerals locally, going as far as banning exports of copper and cobalt concentrates in 2026. Yet this link in the value chain still largely takes place outside the country, held back above all by the energy deficit.
Government, companies, civil society, and researchers will explore how to leverage the local processing clauses written into strategic partnerships. With SARW, we will consolidate their recommendations to drive local processing that benefits the Congolese people first.